Report: Blues 2-1 Aldershot

Joel Grant netted the winner 15 minutes from time and Matt McClure scored one and made one on his 50th Wanderers appearance as the Chairboys beat Aldershot Town 2-1.

Blues had the better of the first half, but failed to make the breakthrough, however, they opened the scoring four minutes after the restart when McClure broke through and kept his cool to finish.

The visitors responded and levelled through Craig Stanley, but Gareth Ainsworth’s men were not to be denied and Grant won it, clipping over Jamie Young after latching on to McClure’s through ball.

Dean Morgan and Matt McClure returned to the starting line-up with Jo Kuffour and Ainsworth the men being replaced. Kuffour dropped to the bench, while Ainsworth missed out altogether.

It was McClure who had the Blues’ first attempt, but his shot was blocked before he got in the way as Josh Scowen fired the rebound goalwards.

McClure had the first shot on target and it came in the 10th minute as he reacted quickest to Michael Harriman’s near-post cross from the right and headed towards goal, but former Wanderer Jamie Young made a comfortable save low to his left.

Jeff Goulding should have given the visitors the lead in the 12th minute but he blazed over the bar from 10 yards after a long free-kick had been knocked down into his path.

Morgan and McClure looked lively early on with the majority of the Chairboys’ play going through them and the former was inches away from opening the scoring in the 18th minute.

Harriman did well to keep the ball in play by the corner flag and found McClure who picked out Morgan in the centre. The forward angled a header back across goal and past Young, only to be denied by the far post.

Blues came close again just past the half hour when Grant did superbly well to keep the ball in play with a backheel and Morgan crossed first time from the left. McClure beat his marker in the air and then reacted quickest to the rebound to poke past Young, but Terrell Forbes was there to clear off the line.

Grant then headed wide when well-placed after rising highest to meet Scowen’s floated cross from the right.

Ingram was called into action for the first time five minutes before the break and he did well to divert Goulding’s low shot away for a corner after Paul McCallum had hooked the ball on for his strike partner.

Wanderers got the goal their play deserved four minutes after the restart when McClure latched on to a through ball, outmuscled Sonny Bradley and then kept his cool to steer past Young for his 11th of the season.

Ingram produced a superb stop to deny McCallum from close-range following an Aldershot free-kick and the goalkeeper then got to his feel quickly to then claim the rebound.

McClure’s powerful effort was blocked by Bradley’s head as the game became stretched with the visitors becoming more of an attacking threat.

Ainsworth was forced to reshuffle in the 65th minute when Winfield limped off to be replaced Leon Johnson, and the Shots levelled three minutes later when Stanley curled into the corner from the edge of the area following Goulding’s lay-off.

Parity didn’t last long though, as the Blues retook the lead 10 minutes later. McClure this time turning provider as he slipped Grant through on goal and the winger made no mistake, coolly clipping over Young.

Stanley’s free-kick deflected over off a team-mate as Aldershot pushed for a late equaliser and Asa Hall then hooked into the side-netting after Ingram failed to cleanly take Jordan Roberts’ free-kick.

McClure should have given Morgan a tap-in in injury-time, but his pass was claimed by Young and Bruno Andrade felt he should have been awarded a penalty for handball, however, it didn’t matter as the Blues went on to secure the points.